The present invention relates to an animal separator system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an animal separator system designed to encourage two or more animals to keep away from one another by an adjustable or a predetermined fixed distance and to encourage one or more animals to keep away from a person or object by an adjustable or a predetermined fixed distance.
An owner of two or more animals may desire to keep them away from one another. Such separation may be necessary for a variety of reasons, such as one animal being more aggressive than the other or both animals being aggressive towards one another. Oftentimes, an animal owner may also desire to keep one or more animals away from a variety of people or objects, such as small children which may be injured by an animal, a pool in which the animal may enter and be unable to exit, or a garden which may be damaged or destroyed by the animal.
Owners do not want to have to constantly monitor their animals in order to keep them separated from one another or prevent their contact with children and certain objects, such as those described above. In addition, even if an owner constantly monitors his or her animal, voice command may be insufficient to stop or deter the animal. Furthermore, confining the animal through such means as a leash may be impractical or inadequate depending upon the strength of the leash and animal.
The present invention addresses these problems. An embodiment of the invention includes a separator system having a first transmitter capable of transmitting a first interrogation signal at a first time during an interrogation interval, a first reply signal, and a first acknowledge signal. The system also includes a second transmitter capable of transmitting a second interrogation signal at a second time during the interrogation interval that is different than the first time, a second reply signal, and a second acknowledge signal. The system additionally includes a first receiver that receives each of the second interrogation, the second reply, and second acknowledge signals when they are transmitted within a first predetermined distance from the first receiver and a second receiver that receives each of the first interrogation, first reply and first acknowledge signals when they are transmitted within a second predetermined distance from the second receiver. The system additionally includes first and second stimulators and a first controller associated with the first transmitter and the first receiver that actuates the first transmitter to transmit the first interrogation signal, the first reply signal in response to the second interrogation signal, and the first acknowledge signal in response to the second reply signal. The first controller also actuates the first stimulator to administer a first correction stimulus to a first animal in response to either the second reply signal or the second acknowledge signal. The system still further includes a second controller associated with the second transmitter and second receiver that actuates the second transmitter to transmit the second interrogation signal, the second reply signal in response to the first interrogation signal, and the second acknowledge signal in response to the first reply signal. The second controller also actuates the second stimulator to administer a second correction stimulus to a second animal in response to either the first reply signal or the first acknowledge signal.
In one or more embodiments, both the first transmitter and first receiver as well as the second transmitter and second receiver may be transceivers. Additionally, both the first and second interrogation signals may include pulses. The duration of these pulses may be approximately 0.5 msec. Furthermore, the first and second reply signals may include a plurality of pulses and, in one or more embodiments, this number may be eight pulses. Furthermore, the first and second acknowledge signals may also include a plurality of pulses, and, in one or more embodiments, this number may be eight pulses.
The above-described system may include a third transmitter capable of transmitting a third interrogation signal at a third time during the interrogation interval that is different from the first and second times, a third reply signal and a third acknowledge signal. This embodiment of the system also includes a third receiver that receives the first and second interrogation signals, the first and second reply signals, and the first and second acknowledge signals, when they are transmitted within a third predetermined distance. This embodiment of the system additionally includes a third stimulator and a third controller associated with the third transmitter and the third receiver that actuates the third transmitter to transmit the third interrogation signal, the third reply signal in response to either the first or second interrogation signals, and the third acknowledge signal in response to either the first or second reply signals. Additionally, the controller actuates the third stimulator to administer a third correction stimulus to a third animal in response to either the first reply signal, the first acknowledge signal, the second reply signal, or the second acknowledge signal.
The first controller may be configured to actuate the first transmitter to transmit the first reply signal after expiration of a first time delay and the second controller may be configured to actuate the second transmitter to transmit the second reply signal after expiration of a second time delay. These first and second time delays may have different values to prevent overlap of the first and second reply signals.
The first transmitter, first receiver, first stimulator, and first controller may be attached to a collar fitted to the first animal and the second transmitter, second receiver, second stimulator, and second controller may also be attached to a collar fitted to the second animal.
The first controller may be selectable between an enabled mode in which the first controller actuates the first stimulator to administer the first correction stimulus to the first animal in response to either the second reply signal or the second acknowledge signal, and a disable mode in which the first controller is unresponsive to the second reply signal and the second acknowledge signal. Additionally, the second controller may be selectable between an enabled mode in which the second controller actuates the second stimulator to administer the second correction stimulus to the second animal in response to either the first reply signal or the first acknowledge signal, and a disable mode in which the second controller is unresponsive to the first reply signal and the first acknowledge signal.
Both the first, second, and third stimulators may each be separately configurable to administer a plurality of corrective stimuli to the respective first, second, and third animals. This corrective stimuli may include a plurality of different levels of electrical energy, a plurality of different levels of tones, or a combination of both.
The above-described first, second, and third distances may be adjustable. Alternatively, they may be fixed at the same or different values.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a separator system having a first transmitter for transmitting an interrogation signal during a first time interval an acknowledge signal in response to a reply signal during a third time interval. This separator system also includes a first receiver for receiving the reply signal during a second time interval. Additionally, this system includes a second transmitter for transmitting the reply signal during the second time interval in response to the interrogation signal and a second receiver for receiving the interrogation signal, when it is transmitted within a predetermined distance from the first transmitter, and for also transmitting the acknowledge signal. Finally, this embodiment of the system includes a stimulator that applies a corrective stimulus to an animal in response to either the reply signal or the acknowledge signal.
The above-described distance may be adjustable or, alternatively, fixed at a predetermined distance. Additionally, the first transmitter and first receiver, as well as the second transmitter and second receiver, may be separate respective first and second transceivers.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.